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Messi misses out on UEFA Best Player in Europe Award

Lionel Messi will not be one of the three finalists for the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award.

Messi, who is the only player in history to have won the award twice, has missed out to Real Madrid duo Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo, while Antoine Griezmann takes up the last place in the final.

The Argentina forward could only take fifth spot as he was beaten to fourth by his Barcelona team-mate Luis Suarez in the list of 10 candidates voted for by journalists from UEFA’s 55 member associations.

With no Barca players in the final three, Ronaldo is the clear favourite for the gong after triumphing on both the domestic and international stage this summer, first in the Champions League with Real and then in Paris with Portugal.

Bale can also boast Champions League success this season and was instrumental in guiding Wales to an unlikely Euro 2016 semi-final in France this summer.

France international Griezmann, meanwhile, scored six goals at Euro 2016 despite eventually losing to Ronaldo’s Portugal in the final, while he also lost out to CR7 as his Atletico Madrid side couldn’t stop Real Madrid winning their 11th Champions League title in May.

The final vote will take place on August 25 in Monaco, where they will announce the winner.